I didn't rate this at all sadly. How some people can give this a perfect 10 is beyond me. I wanted to like this film but sadly it was quite cheesy and gooey. It's one of those films that goes through the 'tick box' list. We have the evil Japanese, the perfect Chinese, sweet, smiling, innocent children, soppy music and perfect tick box characters. It's not a terrible film, it's just a very average film. To me, this was a December 27th Christmas period 3pm TV film. Watchable but also entirely forgettable.

Joseph Fiennes is well cast as Eric Liddell, the Scottish Olympic Gold Medalist runner and Christian missionary caught up in the Japanese army occupation of China. The theme is the gift of hope and it is a touching story, if distinctly average viewing. Sadly, the film doesn't set the scene well in the first act - it rushed to conflict and felt like a TV movie in its rushed pacing and overly sentimental storyline. Liddel's affection towards children, as a form of exposition, was overplayed when more crucial biographical and background information would have helped with context, especially those not especially familiar with the Eric Liddell story. The scenes in the concentration camps lacked tension and didn't do justice to the much worse conditions people suffered. Essentially, it is a straight sequel to Chariots of Fire, but without committing to being a proper biopic.

Good true story that hurts. Decent acting and believable reenactments. The second world war strikes again.